MANURES. 199 



*' able fertilizing matter is wasted in a short time ; and, after a 

 *' lapse of twelve months, at lea^ two-thirds of the substance of 

 '' the manure is wasted, and only one-third, inferior in quality to 

 "an equal weight of fresh dung, is left behind." 



Dr. Voelcker continued his investigations, especially as to the 

 character of trainings of dung-heaps, and published a second valua- 

 ble paper in the " Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society " of 

 the next year (vol. xviii.) The following are among the con- 

 clusions there arrived at : — - 



" I. It will be seen that these drainings contain a good deal of 

 " ammonia, which should not be allowed to run to waste. 



" 2. They also contain phosphate of lime, a constituent not 

 " present in the urine of animals. The fermentation of the dung- 

 " heap thus brings a portion of the phosphates contained in manure 

 " into a soluble state, and enables them to be washed out by any 

 " watery liquid that may come in contact with them. 



" 3. Drainings of dung-heaps are rich in alkaline salts, especially 

 " in the more valuable salts of potash." 



"4. By allowing the washings of dung-heaps to run to waste, 

 " not only ammonia is lost, but also much soluble organic matter, 

 *' salts of potash, and other inorganic substances, which enter into 

 " the composition of our crops, and which are necessary to their 



(( 



now 



th." 



The foregoing statements convey a sufficiently clear idea of the 

 changes that result from the fermentation of manure, to enable 

 us to understand the importance of protecting it very carefully 

 against the action of rains, until it is finally applied to the land. 



They furnish, furthermore, the most convincing proof that a 

 very large majority of American farmers manage the manure of 

 their stables in the most wasteful and extravagant manner possible. 

 Many, even of those who attach great value to manure, and pur- 

 chase large quantities of grain, mainly that the dung-heap may be 

 made richer, allow the most valuable parts of their entire store to 

 be stolen away by the drip of their barn-roofs. 



Dr. Voelcker's analysis of fresh farm-yard manure, which is 

 given below, is generally accepted as the best and the most com- 



